Osteospermum plant named ‘Lanaflo’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Osteospermum  plant named ‘Lanaflo’, characterized by its compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; early and freely flowering habit; inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets tinged with orange at the apices; and tolerance to high temperatures.

Botanical designation: Osteospermum ecklonis.

Botanical denomination: ‘Lanaflo’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Lanaflo’.

The new Osteospermum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Tiptree, Essex, United Kingdom. The objective of the breeding program was to create new Osteospermum cultivars with uniform and freely branching plant habit, unique and attractive floret coloration, and tolerance to high temperatures.

The new Osteospermum originated from a cross-pollination during the spring of 2002 of a proprietary Osteospermum ecklonis selection identified as code number 09-49-01, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unidentified proprietary seedling selection of Osteospermum ecklonis, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Tiptree, Essex, United Kingdom in 2003. The new Osteospermum was selected on the basis of its compact and freely branching plant habit, attractive ray floret coloration and tolerance to high temperatures.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by terminal vegetative cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Lanaflo has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Lanaflo’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Lanaflo’ as a new and distinct Osteospermum:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded         plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Inflorescences with bright yellow-colored ray florets tinged         with orange at the apices.     -   5. Tolerant to high temperatures.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in ray floret coloration.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Zulu, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,389. However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in Tiptree, Essex, United Kingdom, plants of the new Osteospermum differed from plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Zulu in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Osteospermum had smaller leaves than plants         of the cultivar Cape Daisy Zulu.     -   2. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more freely branching         than plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Zulu.     -   3. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more freely flowering         than plants of the cultivar Cape Daisy Zulu.     -   4. Plants of the new Osteospermum and the cultivar Cape Daisy         Zulu differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar         Cape Daisy Zulu had yellow-colored ray florets.     -   5. Plants of the new Osteospermum and the cultivar Cape Daisy         Zulu differed in disc coloration as plants of the cultivar Cape         Daisy Zulu had yellowish brown-colored discs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Osteospermum showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Osteospermum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Lanaflo’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Lanaflo’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Osteospermum has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Tiptree, Essex, United Kingdom in a glass-covered greenhouse and under typical production practices. Plants were about five months old when the photographs and description were taken. Plants were grown in 15-cm containers and were pitched one time. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 19° C. and night temperatures averaged 14° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Lanaflo. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number 09-49-01,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unidentified proprietary seedling             selection of Osteospermum ecklonis, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate rooting.—About two weeks at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About one month at 20°             C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous container             and garden plant. Compact, upright, somewhat outwardly             spreading and mounded plant habit. Freely branching habit,             about five primary lateral branches and numerous secondary             lateral branches. Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 17 cm.         -   Plant width or area of spread.—About 16.5 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 4.8 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Internode length: About 3 mm. Aspect: Upright and             somewhat outwardly spreading. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Sparsely pubescent. Color: 143B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple;             sessile. Length: About 4.9 cm. Width: About 1.4 cm. Shape:             Oblanceolate to obovate with protruding points. Apex: Acute             to obtuse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire with six protruding             points. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; towards the margins, sparsely             pubescent. Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: Between             137A and 143A. Developing foliage, lower surface: 137C.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 137A; venation, 143A.             Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137B; venation, 143A             to 143B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Solitary terminal and axillary inflorescences             held above and beyond the foliage on strong peduncles.             Composite inflorescence form, radially symmetrical, with             narrowly oblanceolate-shaped ray florets and disc florets             massed at the center; ray and disc florets develop             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences persistent.             Inflorescences face mostly upright.         -   Flowering response.—Early flowering; plants flower             continuous and freely from the late spring until the early             autumn in the United Kingdom.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about two weeks on the plant.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering; at one time,             about six inflorescences per lateral stem.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About             1 cm. Shape: Broadly elliptic. Color: 144A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.8 cm. Depth (height):             About 2.6 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.1 cm. Receptacle             height: About 1.5 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.9 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 2.8 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape:             Narrowly oblanceolate. Apex: Praemorse. Base: Attenuate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Orientation: Initially upright then about 80° from             vertical. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 25             in one to two whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface:             17A; towards the base, 12A. When opening, lower surface:             12A. Fully opened, upper surface: 12A; towards the base,             12B; apices tinged with close to N163A. Fully opened, lower             surface: 13B; central band, 177B to 177C.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed.             Length: About 4 mm. Width: At apex: About 1.3 mm. At base:             About 0.8 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 100. Color: Immature: 145D. Mature: Apex: N186B.             Mid-section: 63B. Base: 149D.         -   Phyllaries.—Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.4 mm.             Shape: Linear. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent.             Number per inflorescence: About 19 in a single whorl. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 143A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 6.9 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 4.3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle:             Terminal peduncles, mostly upright; axillary peduncles about             35° from stem axis. Strength: Strong. Texture: Sparsely             pubescent. Color: 143A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Stamen number: Five per floret; fused around style.             Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther length: About 3 mm. Anther             color: N92C. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: 25A.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil             number: One per floret. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Stigma             shape: Two-parted. Stigma color: 187A. Style length: About             7 mm. Style color: 145D. Ovary color: 145D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and/or fruit production has not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Osteospermums has not been observed on plants grown under commercial     greenhouse or outdoor conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been     observed to tolerate temperatures from about 0° C. to 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant named ‘Lanaflo’, as illustrated and described. 